Running the Inlet!

Aye fellers! She looks a might bit on the choppy side today! What think ye? Shall we run the inlet and go after them fishes?

Reminds me of that ole tale me granpappy used to recite to me on days like this. Says he,

"When the wind is from the west the fishing is best.
When the wind is from the east the fishing is least.
When the wind is from the north the fishermen can't go forth.
When the wind is from the south it blows the bait in the fishes' mouth."

He sometimes used to dance a little sort of a jig when he said that too. But that was just him, always quotin' and recitatin' and dancing about the foredeck. I think it was just because he enjoyed fishin' so much. Never a man been born liked fishing more than my granpappy.

But I'm a drifting off the subject! Here in the inlet we need to keep our wits about us. Sometimes its nice and calm and other times its stormy. If its a calm day we might try drift fishing with a flounder rig and see if we might haul us up a flatfish or two. We might set us out some live bait and try for a king mackerel or try trolling for kings, or bluefish, or Spanish mackerel.

Speaking of Spanish...did you know that North Carolina currently holds World All Tackle Records for three types of fish? And what types are they?...well yes...Spanish mackerel is one, but what are the others? Here's some hints...one fish was caught off Cape Hatteras in 1972..and weighed in at 31 pounds 12 ounces. The angler was James Hussey..and what was it he caught?

And about that Spanish mackerel. The North Carolina State Record, which is also the World All Tackle Record, was caught by Robert Cranton in 1987. The 13 pound whopper was caught off Ocracoke Inlet.

North Carolina also holds the World All Tackle Record for red drum. It was a 94 pound 2 ounce fish caught by David G. Deuel in 1984. David was fishing at Hatteras Island when he landed this giant.